Gustav Stickley's historic Syracuse home may become a museum

Ellen M. Blalock / The Post-StandardThe one-time home of Gustav Stickley, at 438 Columbus Ave. in Syracuse, which was the first home in the U.S. with an Arts and Crafts interior, may become a museum.

It was the one-time home of noted designer and furniture maker Gustav Stickley and the first house in the United States to have an Arts and Crafts interior.

If you didn't know it's in Syracuse -- at 438 Columbus Ave. on the city's east side -- you're probably in good company.

But that might change with a joint proposal from the Everson Museum of Art and L. & J.G. Stickley Company to turn the unoccupied and somewhat neglected property into a museum, potentially one of the premier Arts and Crafts sites in the country.

L. & J.G. Stickley Company purchased the home, built in 1900 with a Queen Anne exterior, in 1995 to prevent antique dealers from dismantling its historic interior and selling it off in pieces.

In the last few months, the home has been the subject of a feasibility study by architects and preservation planners Crawford & Stearns to determine what would be necessary to transform it into a museum, operated by the Everson.

Stickley and the Everson are using the initial study as a road map for the overall project -- expected to cost in excess of $2 million -- and to help with a request for at least partial funding through the state's Regional Economic Development Council.

"We are hopeful everyone will see the merits of restoring this house to its previous glory and will really see the impact this will have on attracting people from all over the country to the hub and the birthplace of the Arts and Crafts movement in this country," Aminy Audi, L. & J.G. Stickley president and CEO said. "We feel there is no greater steward for fulfilling this mission than the Everson Museum, and we are proud to have helped preserve this important treasure for the future generations."

Steven Kern, the Everson Museum of Art's executive director said of the home, "It is absolutely the Holy Grail of the Arts and Crafts style and aesthetic that swept the country from coast to coast."

Arts and Crafts was characterized by simple design with a focus on craftsmanship and the use of natural materials.

Kern said he expects the renovation and rehabilitation of the home to take years because it must be done with great deliberation and sensitivity.

Elizabeth L. CrawfordThe interior of Gustav Stickley's former home, the first home in the U.S. with an Arts and Crafts interior. Submitted photo.

"You walk into the interior and it leaves you breathless," Kern said. "There is a lot of work to be done .. and the house has certainly suffered, but it is the vessel for this amazing jewel. The flow of space, the woodwork .. the downstairs is absolutely spectacular even in its current condition."
Kern foresees the museum as an anchor for the surrounding neighborhood, further enhancing ongoing reinvestment in that community.
"The renovation is going to have direct neighborhood, local, city, county, regional and national impact," Kern said. "This is an opportunity for the entire community, not just the Everson or the Audis."